zaphar/jeremy.marzhillstudios.com
1
0
Fork 0
mirror of https://github.com/zaphar/jeremy.marzhillstudios.com.git synced 2025-07-22 19:39:56 -04:00
Code Issues Packages Projects Releases Wiki Activity

More editing before my final draft.

Browse Source
This commit is contained in:
Jeremy Wall 2020-05-23 14:28:04 -04:00
parent bb3e598615
commit 4e6ca4fb57
1 changed files with 36 additions and 34 deletions
Show Stats Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files

70
content/Intermediating-change.md
View File

@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
+++
title = "Intermediating during change"
draft = true
date = 2020-05-23
[taxonomies]
tags = [
@ -11,20 +10,22 @@ tags = [
"learning",
]
+++
# Intermediating during change
# Managing change
A significant portion of my job these days is to act as an intermediator during change.
> intermediate:
> verb (used without object)
> 1. to act as an intermediary; intervene; mediate. [Dictionary.com](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/intermediator)
A significant portion of my job these days is to act as an intermediator. I
stand between upper management and the teams that report to me. I mediate the
I stand between upper management and the teams that report to me. I mediate the
interaction between them. My role is one of translator, shield, and
understand-er in chief. I am the primary way that my direct reports understand
the goals, needs, and requirements of the company they work for. I'm also the
way that the company understands the mood, needs, and capabilities of the
people they have employed. This is, to say the least, the most exhausting and yet
in some ways most fulfilling part of my job.
people they have employed. This is, to say the least, the most exhausting and
yet in some ways most fulfilling part of my job.
If you work somewhere for long enough eventually you'll see a negative
narrative start to form. A policy change will strike people the wrong way. A
@ -39,29 +40,29 @@ your team.
## Planned Change
Your ideal situation is to be proactive. If a change is coming to my team and
I've been made aware of it I need to take some steps to ensure the health of my
team as the change is happening. My first task is to understand the change and
what is motivating it. What is behind the change? Why does the company find it
necessary. What will be the impact on my team of this change. I need to be
empathetic to both the company and my team. Most change is motivated by
something but those motivations aren't always clearly communicated. My job is
to understand those motivations so that I can clearly explain them to the team.
No one likes change for no clear gain. But most people can get behind a change
with clear reasons behind them.
Your goal in managing change is to be proactive. If a change is coming to my
team and I've been made aware of it I need to take some steps to ensure the
health of my team as the change is happening. My first task is to understand
the change and what is motivating it. What is behind the change? Why does the
company find it necessary. What will be the impact on my team of this change. I
need to be empathetic to both the company and my team. Most change is motivated
by something but those motivations aren't always clearly communicated. My job
is to understand those motivations so that I can clearly explain them to the
team. No one likes change for no clear gain. But most people can get behind a
change with clear reasons behind them.
My next task is to understand the impact this will have on my team. What
questions are they likely to have? Will there be undesirable impacts that
management may be unaware of? If you can anticipate those questions or
potential setbacks you will go a long way to easing everyone's minds. It's
crucial that management knows you understand the impacts these changes will
have on the team and can communicate them back to them. It's also crucial that
your team knows you are already proactively managing that impact on them. If
the change is going to slow them down and you've already let management know to
expect that then your team is going be less anxious about that change affecting
their standing at the company.
have on the team and can communicate them back to them. It's also important
that your team knows you are already proactively managing that impact on them.
If the change is going to slow them down and you've already let management know
to expect that then your team is going be less anxious about that change
affecting their standing at the company.
Once I understand the change that is coming, it's motivation, and it's impacts
Once I understand the change that's coming, it's motivation, and it's impacts
then I can communicate it to my team. My goals are to help the team understand
the change and prepare for it mentally and emotionally. To do this I'm upfront
about the costs the change will incur. I make sure that they know I've already
@ -70,22 +71,23 @@ negotiated ways to mitigate or handle those costs. I also make sure I listen.
Just because I've done my homework first and tried to anticipate all the
impacts doesn't mean there isn't something I missed or was unaware of. If I
learn anything new from the team then I commit to communicate it to leadership.
Both the team and the company leadership needs to know that I am an effective
translator, and they can trust me to accurately represent them to each other.
Both the team and the company leadership need to know that I am an effective
translator, and they can trust me to accurately represent their needs to each
other.
## Sudden change
Sometimes change comes suddenly. Sometimes the environment for the company
changes so fast no one sees it coming until it's right on top of them.
Maybe communication lines break down in a place outside my control.
Perhaps I just drop the ball. When that happens first I have to accept it and
then I need to follow the same playbook but on an accelerated timeline. I might
have to tell the team that I'm working to understand the change same as them
and then commit to follow up with them when I learn more. If I've done my job
before this then I'll have earned enough trust for myself and the company that
they'll wait for that feedback and withhold judgement. The company will be able
to trust me to manage the team's response to unexpected change as well which
reduces stress for everyone involved.
changes so fast no one sees it coming until it's right on top of them. Maybe
communication lines break down in a place outside my control. Perhaps I just
drop the ball. When that happens first I have to accept it and then I need to
follow the same playbook but on an accelerated timeline. I might have to tell
the team that I'm working to understand the change same as them and then commit
to follow up with them when I learn more. If I've done my job before this then
I'll have earned enough trust for myself and the company that they'll wait for
that feedback and withhold judgement. The company will be able to trust me to
manage the team's response to unexpected change as well which reduces stress
for everyone involved.
# Change is necessary